Preventions

Residents & Medical Lerners: Who are they?

Residents: Who are they?

Our clinic is proud to be a training site for Family Medicine Residents from Queen's University Medical Students form University of Toronto and McMaster University. A student physician may be involved in your care.

What does this mean for you?

What is a Resident?

After graduating from medical school, new doctors undergo further training before they can practice independently. These doctors work under the direct supervision of your family doctor or specialist and are known as residents. Family medicine residents take extra training not only in Family Practices but also in hospital specialties. Residents have already spent many years working to become doctors. By the time they become residents they are able to write prescriptions, start intravenous lines, stitch up wounds and deal with medical emergencies.

Why are residents working in this clinic?

Many of you will know how hard it is to find a doctor in smaller communities. Doctors that train in large cities like Toronto generally end up practicing there. Our clinic is part of a new program to train doctors to practice in smaller cities. We hope that many of the doctors graduating from this program will become your family doctors in the near future.

What is the role of the resident?

The resident works with your doctor. When you go to the clinic, typically the resident will see you first and make a plan for your care with your doctor. Your family doctor remains completely responsible for your care and always directly supervises the resident.

We hope you will feel comfortable having a resident involved in your care. If for any reason you would prefer not to have a resident in attendance, please inform the staff.